


The Feeling of Hope

by Bionerd2Point0



Series: The Feelings of Life [3]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics)
Genre: Alpha Cassandra Cain, Alpha Dick Grayson, Alpha Jason Todd, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Alpha/Beta/Omega dynamics, Alternate Universe - No Capes, Anxious Tim Drake, Beta Barbara Gordon, Beta Stephanie Brown, Depression, Fluff and Angst, Healing, Intersex Omegas, Jason Todd is an oblivious sweetheart, Lots of Food, Lots of time skips, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Miscommunication, No Smut, Omega Tim Drake, Panic Attacks, Past Rape/Non-con, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Scenting, Time Skips, Toaster - Freeform, but you can ignore it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-15
Updated: 2020-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:54:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23158117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bionerd2Point0/pseuds/Bionerd2Point0
Summary: “Tim?” He looked as surprised as Tim felt. “What are you doing here?”“I just finished my appointment.” What else would Tim be doing in a psychiatrist’s office? “What are you doing here?”
Relationships: Barbara Gordon/Dick Grayson, Stephanie Brown/Cassandra Cain, Tim Drake/Jason Todd
Series: The Feelings of Life [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1617892
Comments: 42
Kudos: 475





	The Feeling of Hope

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings: Past rape/noncon. Tim has a major depressive episode/anxiety attack in his POV, then gets triggered in an off screen scene and the aftermath is discussed in the narrative (nothing graphic, though). Please be careful if this is something that might be triggering for you.  
> I will also note that this is fictional, and that Tim’s recovery is not necessarily based off of real recovery rates (it’s also just a bad idea to compare recoveries in general. They take as long as you need)
> 
> *Crawls out from under rock* Hello again! This took… significantly longer than I anticipated, but this fic is almost as long as the other two combined, so I think I can be forgiven! There will be one more fic in this AU, but I promise it will be much shorter. It will also be almost 100% fluffy vanilla porn, so if that’s not your thing I’m afraid this is where we part ways. *wipes away tear*  
> Massive thank you to the WONDERFUL feriswheel. She beta’d this fic to the next level, and I can’t even begin to thank her enough! She put up with my fever brain ideas when I was laid up with the flu, then helped edit my Frankenscenes into something that doesn’t sound like it was written while I was high on Dayquil with a 102 degree fever. She is an absolute miracle worker, and deserves all the love!!  
> Also! Shout out to Mostly_Void_Partially_Stars for making me think about how Tim would handle a heat. I had 0 intention of exploring that detail, but they made me think about it XD  
> Enjoy!

Tim kept his head down and shoved his hands into his pockets as he left Dinah’s office. It was always a toss up as to how the sessions would leave him. Some days, especially at the beginning, he would be a sobbing, inconsolable mess and would need to spend an hour in the bathroom just to calm down enough to leave. Other days, he’d be angry. Frustrated and furious with himself, with the traffickers who kidnapped him, with the Alphas who had taken advantage, take your pick. 

More recently, the sessions have ended like they did today: with deep introspection and calm evaluation. Dinah had been slowly introducing him to the idea that some of his problems stemmed not from recent trauma, but from his childhood. He had balked, initially, because _no way_ was that the case. Then, he started to notice how some of his triggers couldn’t quite be explained by being a trafficking victim. How some days being alone in his apartment was just as bad as fighting the crowds in a busy subway. How hard it was to ask for help for fear of inconveniencing other people. The nights where Stephanie physically couldn’t leave because it would send him into a panic. 

It made a twisted sort of sense, and now that they could identify what was happening in his brain, Dinah could help direct him to more healthy coping mechanisms and all the joys that that entailed.

Lost in thought, Tim picked his way back to the reception room to pay for this week’s appointment and confirm he would be back next week, not paying much attention to his surroundings as he got in line to check out. Dinah’s office was at the very edge of Gotham, and he couldn’t imagine not feeling safe within the building.

It was actually one of the only places in Gotham that he didn’t feel scared in, and was conveniently close to one of his favorite restaurants. With planning what he would order occupying most of his attention, it took a moment before he really processed the scent before him. Smokey and earthy, with something that was distinctly Alpha. It was familiar, too, and Tim could only stare in shock as Jason Todd finished his transaction and turned around, manila folder in hand.

“Tim?” He looked as surprised as Tim felt. “What are you doing here?”

“I just finished my appointment.” What _else_ would Tim be doing in a psychiatrist’s office? “What are _you_ doing here?”

“I’m... picking up paperwork?” Jason looked down at the folder he was holding. “Dinah is the friend of my dad’s I told you about at the gala. I started seeing her around Thanksgiving, after our talk, and my boss wanted my most recent psych eval.”

Tim rocked back on his heels. It had been a little over a month since the Christmas Gala, but had he and Jason really been in each other’s orbit for nearly three months without realizing?

“She’s really good,” Tim said, mentally smacking himself for the banality of that statement.

“She is.” Jason’s lips twitched in what might have been a smile.

“You’ve been doing well, then?” God, what was Tim saying? Why was he trying to make small talk?

“Been okay,” Jason said, shrugging. “Mostly dealing with paperwork lately, so I’ve been bored out of my mind, but that might change soon.”

“That’s good.” Tim was at a loss. He had never felt this awkward with Jason before, and the small talk was killing him. Then again, last time they had seen each other, he had ended up practically in the Alpha’s lap scenting him. 

“Mr. Drake?” Tim turned towards his savior, the receptionist, and realized he had been standing there, not having realized he was next in line. A wave of heat bloomed across his face.

“Yes?” It came out as a squeak, and Tim had to fight the urge to clear his throat.

“If you could just swipe your card, I have your payment cued up. Same time next week?”

“That’s fine.” Tim fumbled with his card for a moment, vividly aware of Jason’s gaze on his back. 

“I’ll email you the appointment confirmation. Have a good week, Tim!”

“Thanks, Miss Alex, you too.” 

Turning away, Tim did his level best to force the blush down and paste on a close approximation to a smile.

Jason snorted. “Kid, you are a mess.” His snort turned into a genuine chuckle as Tim grumbled in response, shoving his card back into his wallet so that they could leave. “You don’t gotta pretend for me, Timmy. I get it. If I got ambushed after a round with Dinah, I’d be off my game too.”

“Oh, shut up.” Tim rolled his eyes as they started for the door. “You just caught me off guard.”

“I caught me off guard too, kiddo.” 

Tim felt a flash of irritation, because Jason _kept using that nickname_ , but it was tempered by the sheer relief that the awkwardness had passed. Still…

“Could you, maybe, stop calling me that?”

“Hm?” Absently humming in question, Jason led the way out of the office.

“You keep calling me ‘kid,’ and it’s getting kinda annoying. I know it’s probably just a habit for you, but I, uh, it feels pretty demeaning.”

“Oh.” Jason paused at the top of the stairs and looked back at Tim with a startled expression. “Sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just my default nickname for everyone who could possibly be younger than me. Do… do any of the other nicknames bother you? Timmy? That kind of thing?”

Tim waved him off, starting back down the stairs with Jason still leading the way. “No, just the kid stuff. Steph butchers my name in every conceivable way she can, and I doubt you can top Timberlina.”

“Timber— _Timberlina_?” He choked on the word, coughing as he clearly tried to suppress laughter.

“Yup. Apparently, I am ‘pocket sized.’” Rolling his eyes, Tim gave into the temptation to physically finger quote in the air, smiling as he did so.

“That is fucking hilarious.” Jason grinned back at him, mirth dancing in his eyes as he held open the door to the frigid outdoors.

“You heading back to work now?” Tim said, following him outside and hunkering into the collar of his jacket when a breeze blew past. The sidewalk wasn’t too crowded, thankfully. Evidently, everyone else was smart enough to stay inside to avoid the cold.

“Nah. I gotta get lunch first. They’ve been handing out little sandwiches at the office all week, but turkey and cheese gets real old after the third day.”

“Oh? I was gonna grab food, too, if you want to join me? There’s this little chain called Bibibop two blocks away.”

Jason paused on the sidewalk to turn to Tim, brows pinched together. “What is it? I don’t think I’ve heard about that one.”

“It’s kinda new. Basically the Korean version of Chipotle. It’s pretty good, and they have purple rice, too.”

“Purple rice?”

Tim nodded seriously. “Uh huh. It’s like white rice, but purple.”

Jason rolled his eyes, exasperated, and Tim fought to suppress his laugh. “Yeah, yeah, you’re a little shit and you know it. Now, c’mon. Apparently, we’re going to Korean Chipotle and I don’t know where it is.”

The battle with his laughter was lost when he caught Jason’s grumble of “purple fucking rice, my ass” that he definitely wasn’t supposed to hear.

Tim led the way to the restaurant, chatting casually with Jason along the way. February in Jersey was a terrible time of year, but luckily, it hadn’t snowed much recently, sparing them from the sludge that normally coated the sidewalks. The cold wind nipped at Tim’s face, and he gave in to pull his scarf up over his nose about halfway there. He had no idea how Jason wasn’t freezing his ass off, because a leather jacket and beanie did _not_ count as winter weather gear.

“What demon did you barter with to not be cold, and where can I find it?”

Jason barked a laugh at the question. “The only demon I know is Damian, and he can usually be found hissing at strangers from under the bed with his cat. I’m pretty sure his gifts revolve around superiority complexes and compassion for animals, so you might be out of luck.”

“Damn. I was looking forward to bartering.” Tim let himself smile as they bantered back and forth, perking up further when he caught sight of the orange Bibibop sign. It was a huge relief to step in out of the cold.

“It’s probably for the best. You could end up losing your soul and still have to build your own fire to stay warm. Little demon drives a hard bargain.” Jason paused as they approached the counter, letting the server greet them and watching Tim ordered his food before following suite. 

They went down the line, picking out what rice, meat, vegetables, and sauce they wanted for their bowls before Jason blocked Tim from paying for their meals with nothing besides his sheer bulk.

“Jason!” Tim debated on trying to elbow his way between the Alpha and the counter, but doubted that would result in any more success than he was having already. “This was my idea, I invited you here, just let me get it, okay? Or at least get my own.”

“Nope.” Jason popped the ‘p,’ smiling at the cashier and handing over his card. “You are a college student, and therefore have better things to spend your money on. I get paid by the hour, including my lunch breaks, so this is technically on the government’s dime and therefore a non-issue. Besides,” Jason turned around with both trays, the expression of mock disappointment clear on his face, “you obviously cannot be trusted with any kind of food knowledge ever again.”

“What?” Tim had no idea where this had come from, and absently followed Jason through the restaurant to a row of tables pressed against the wall. “What are you talking about? You haven’t even tried the food here yet.”

“No, but you promised me purple rice, Timmy. And this?” Jason hefted his tray before setting it down on a table. “This is _black_ rice. Only the uncultured would call it purple rice, so therefore, no trust.” He pointed his fork at Tim to emphasize the point.

“You are impossible.” Tim collapsed into his seat. “The rice is purple. So purple rice. And if it’s such a big deal, why didn’t you call me out when I first told you about it?”

“You said purple rice! I wasn’t thinking about black rice. I was thinking it was like, lavender rice or something new. And black rice turns purple when you cook it.”

Tim’s face screwed up, because what? “Lavender rice? With sriracha mayo? No. That’s… that’s too weird.” He peered at Jason. “Why are we arguing about rice?”

“Because you haven’t admitted that I’m right yet.” Mixing up the various components of his dish, Jason took a pointed bite while maintaining eye contact. He chewed for a moment, then swallowed and stared down into the bowl. “This is really good, though.”

“Good enough to forgive my faux pas?” Tim said, batting his eyelashes obnoxiously.

Jason paused. “Only because I have never heard an actual human being say ‘faux pas’ in a real conversation. Not unless you count the extra snotty gossip circles at galas. They’re all just droids wearing meat suits anyways.”

Tim gaped at him because— “Did you just equate Mrs. Elderidge to a robot in a meat suit?”

Shrugging, Jason swallowed his next bite of food. “I mean, personally, I think more along the lines of a mouse droid when it comes to her, given how _helpful_ she tends to be, but, yeah.”

“Mouse… droid.” Tim took a moment to really process that reference. “You mean the little, annoying maintenance droids in Star Wars, right?”

“Uh huh.” Even though Jason’s face was calm and serious, Tim could see the hint of a blush traveling up his neck and to his ears.

Tim hesitated for a moment, then decided to just dive right in. Jason wasn’t allowed to judge him if he was called Mrs. Eldridge a mouse droid. “I feel like she’s closer to a borg, since anything you say within ten feet of her will be known by the entirety of Gotham before the night is over.”

Jason’s head tipped to the side. “Borg. That’s Star Trek, right?”

“How can you reference mouse droids and not know, like, one of the biggest villains in Star Trek?”

Laughing, Jason shook his head. “I didn’t have a TV growing up, and Star Trek is mostly TV shows, right? I think I remember seeing a book for it in the library once, but I’ve never known enough about it to be interested.”

“If you didn’t have a TV, then how did you get into Star Wars?” Tim asked, genuinely curious. He had definitely not pegged Jason as any kind of sci-fi enthusiast. 

“There used to be an old theatre in the Bowery that had Two Dollar Tuesdays,” he began, a soft look on his face. “My mom and I went once before she got sick, and Attack of the Clones was one of the only movies playing. We didn’t really care what was playing, ‘cause AC is AC and four bucks was worth it at the time, but I hadn’t seen anything like it before. It just. Made an impact, I guess?” Jason glanced down at the table, the tips of his ears red. “Later, I found out that there were Star Wars books at the library, so I read everything I could get my hands on up till Bruce adopted me and Dick introduced me to the rest of the movies.” Jason smiled fondly at his bowl, absently picking at his napkin. “I think I’ve read every Star Wars book written, not that it matters anymore. It kills me that Disney is ignoring the books—they had some great plotlines, but I don’t really have the time to invest in TV shows now that I have a real job and whatnot.”

That had turned out a lot more personal than what Tim had anticipated becoming the age-old debate of Star Trek versus Star Wars. He took a moment to appreciate the openness being offered. “If you want, I could always send you a list of the good episodes? That way, you can skip all the ones that don’t matter and save some time. I also read a lot of the Star Wars books, and if you liked those, I think you’d enjoy Star Trek, too. There’s not as many plot holes or unanswered questions, and the captain of the ship in Voyager is a female Omega, which was pretty great.” Tim cut himself off before he could ramble further, because Jason had given _no_ indication that he was interested. “But only if you want!”

Jason’s smile had too many emotions in it for Tim to unpack. He didn’t seem upset by the suggestion, though. “I’d like that, if you’re offering. You still got my cell number?”

“Yeah. I can text the list to you, it’s no trouble.” Fidgeting in his seat, Tim tried not to let his scent betray how pleased he was with this development. The last thing he needed was for Jason to think he was throwing himself at the Alpha.

“I’ll look forward to hearing from you, then. I should probably be heading back, though. Boss needs those papers. You good getting home on your own?” Jason gathered up his tray to dump in the trash, his movements full of an easy confidence.

“Yeah, I’m good. Thanks for covering lunch.” Tim started picking up his own leftovers, trying to ignore the stretch of Jason’s shoulders as he pulled his jacket back on.

“No problem.” He grinned at Tim with a few too many teeth for it to be completely innocent. “I’ll see you around, Tiny Tim.” 

Laughing, he left the restaurant, leaving Tim groaning into his hands and questioning which life choices had led to all of his friends being assholes.

oOo

Tim breathed out a heavy sigh as he rested against Stephanie’s chest. He may not be sexually attracted to boobs, but they made fantastic pillows and Stephanie was very well endowed. It made for an overall wonderful cuddling experience, especially with how he was sprawled on top of her, their legs twined together.

The movie playing in the background had long since been tuned out—it was some kind of romcom she had picked involving Amy Adams and an Irish guy—in favor of stewing on the text he had yet to reply to.

“Steph?”

“Hmm?” 

A quick glance upwards confirmed she was still watching the movie. He had a feeling that would change in a moment.

“How did you realize that Cass was courting you?” It was a pretty personal question, one he normally wouldn’t ask—although under different circumstances she probably would have told him immediately after—and he felt her go still beneath him. The steady beat of her heart reassured him that she wasn’t upset, though.

“Why do you want to know?” He could tell he had her full attention, despite her eyes still being on the TV.

“You first.”

“Well,” she started and then paused. “Cass and I haven’t ever officially _courted_. We met at the dance studio I volunteer at, and she invited me to coffee afterwards. Three coffee meet-ups later, I asked her if they were dates and she said yes, so I told her next time we were going to the movies and I was paying for popcorn. That was pretty much it, though. Just regular dating, not all the Alpha-posturing-courting stuff.” She looked down with an expectant expression. “Now! Why did you ask me? Is there some Alpha I need to chase off?”

Tim took a deep breath and hunkered down a little bit closer to Stephanie, feeling more than a little shy about the topic.

“Maybe? You don’t need to chase him off, though…” He shifted against her, but it was too late to back out now. “Do you remember Jason?” 

Stephanie’s arms tightened where they were placed around his shoulders. “Yeah.” 

“Well, I bumped into him after an appointment with Dinah a few weeks ago. Apparently, he’s been seeing her too, and we ended up going out to lunch after.” Tim cleared his throat. “We’ve actually been out to lunch every Saturday since, and he always insists on paying, and today he texted me this… here.” Reaching out to grab his phone off the coffee table, Tim scrambled to keep his balance. Once he was safely back on the stable territory of Stephanie, he unlocked the device and swiped to open his messaging app. Tapping the most recent conversation, he thrust the phone at her face before trying to smother himself in her armpit. He had read the message enough that he knew it by heart at this point.

Jason T: _Hey Timbo! I know we had plans for Saturday, but I’m gonna have to bail on you. Work stuff came up. However, Babs landed me a pair of tickets for the Sunday matinee performance the Gotham Symphony Orchestra is doing. It’s a special sci-fi show with highlights from both Star Wars and Star Trek. Thought you might enjoy it if you wanna come? Just let me know and I’ll send the details!_

It was a massive paragraph of a text, and every time Tim looked at it, he got a little thrill in the effort Jason had obviously made in typing it all out. Then, he’d start to second-guess himself, because it sounded _so_ casual—what if this was simply normal for Jason? Tim didn’t know him well enough to be sure. The fact that Stephanie still hadn’t responded wasn’t helping his anxiety any, either.

“I think,” she started, “this could go either way. From what you’ve told me before now, he feels pretty guilty about everything, right?” 

Tim nodded, not even caring that his face was still pressed into her armpit.

“So, this might just be him trying to repay you for everything. Or it might not. Personally, I think you should just ask him.” 

Tim squawked in horror and opened his mouth to object, but she obviously anticipated his protests and cut him off before he could even get a word out. “Hear me out. Worst case scenario, you get a little awkward—you’d have an answer, though. However! I know you, and you’re a coward who would rather sit and marinate in all the ‘what ifs’ than actually face your problems.”

“Hey!” Tim lurched upwards to scowl at her. “I have faced plenty of my issues all on my own, thank you very much.”

“Social _relationship_ issues.” She waved him off, then fixed a hand to the back of his neck and pulled Tim back down to her cleavage. “Hush up and let me finish. Now, since you’re obviously not going to actually _ask_ him about this,” she said, fixing him with a look that challenged him to deny the accusation. He could only grumble because she was absolutely one-hundred percent right. “Since you’re not going to actually ask him about this, I would wait to see if you get any gifts. Hanging out regularly can go on either side of the friends-slash-more-than-friends spectrum, even if Jason is the only one who pays for meals. Gift giving, however, is very much an Alpha courting thing outside of holidays and birthdays.”

“He hasn’t given me any gifts yet…” Tim shifted to rest against Stephanie more comfortably. “Okay. Thanks, Steph, that really does help.”

“Anytime, Timmy. That’s what BFFs are for.” Hugging him a little closer, she pressed a kiss to the top of his head.

Three days later, Tim texted her a picture of a book titled _William Shakespeare’s Star Wars_ on his desk , followed by a text of: _Concert, ice cream, and book. Does this count as a date?_

He wished he could see her face when she saw his messages. 

oOo

Tim held his breath and let it out slowly, counting to five before he let himself inhale again. His hand was clenched tight around his phone where it was pressed up against his ear—the only thing stopping his fingers from trembling. The thing keeping him from texting. 

He hadn’t managed to get out of bed that morning, not that it really mattered. His stomach was cramping down so hard he wouldn’t have been able to stomach coffee, let alone real food. Bad Days occurred on a nearly bi-weekly basis at this point, but it had been nearly two months since he’d felt trapped in his room like this.

It was a Saturday, though, so there was a single obligation he had to cancel before he was truly allowed to give in and den in his closet. How unfortunate, too. Tim had been looking forward to lunch.

The phone picked up after the fourth ring, and the deep voice must’ve said something in greeting he missed, because by the time Tim’s brain was back on track, Jason’s voice was starting to sound a little panicked.

“Tim? _Tim_? Are you okay?”

“Hi.” The word was more of a wheeze than anything else, but it was there. Tim cleared his throat. “Hey.”

“Hey, babybird. What’s wrong?” Jason’s voice was pitched low and crooning, clearly trying to calm him down even though he didn’t know what was wrong.

“Uh, just… just a bad day. I.” The tightness in his throat was getting to be too much again, and Tim had to focus on breathing for a few seconds. “I need to cancel. Today. I wanted to, but… I can’t. Just… yeah.” He wasn’t sure what else he wanted to say. He kind of felt like crying. He didn’t know why.

“Okay. That’s totally fine. We can meet up again later, okay?” 

Tim hummed in agreement, struggling to focus on the conversation at hand when it felt like the walls were caving in. 

“Is there anything I can do to help today? I can get Cass to send Steph over if you’d like.”

He had to blink rapidly to chase away the tears that were beginning to blur his vision. “No.” It started out as a croak and ended in a cough, making Tim even more frustrated that his body wouldn’t cooperate with him. “‘S okay. Hard to… get up. Sometimes. Can’t do it for myself, y’know?” He shrugged, even though Jason had no way of seeing him. “I’ll call her later.”

“Alright. Do you want me to go? I can stay on, if you want. Just talk. Anything you need.”

Tim’s mind felt clouded with emotion. The fear and panic from earlier were still clawing at the edges, telling him that every shadow and noise was a threat. He wanted nothing more than to bury himself under the bed with all of his blankets to make it go away. Maybe he didn’t have to, though. Maybe… maybe Jason could chase the fear away. Maybe Jason was enough to keep him safe. 

“Yeah. Yeah… that’d be nice.”

oOo

Jason checked the time on his phone one last time and finally ducked out of his car, making his way into the restaurant. 

He and Tim had a standing lunch on Saturday’s. Last week, though, the Omega had needed to cancel on him. Trying to stay calm while listening to the distress and uncertainty in Tim’s voice had been one of the most challenging things he’d done this month—this year, really—but he had stayed on the line and talked for over three hours. 

Tim hadn’t said much after the initial few minutes, and though Jason had stayed away from any important topics, it was still a profound moment. Tim had trusted Jason while he was down, and Jason had done his level best to help Tim feel better. It worked, too. A little. 

By the time Jason needed to go, Tim had been up and moving, making noises about reheating some food. It had weighed on Jason’s mind, though, all week long. How Tim didn’t really have anyone around to help pull him out of bed on the bad days unless he called them—which he wouldn’t. Jason was under no illusion that Tim would have called them if he had been able to cancel their plans any other way. It left the Alpha in him more than a little agitated, and when he was agitated, Jason tended to do a lot of stupid things.

He had a plan, yes. He couldn’t help but hope he wasn’t overstepping his boundaries with what he was about to do.

Despite having spent twenty minutes stewing in the car, Jason still walked into the Indian restaurant ten minutes early. The rich smells of curry spices greeted him, and, after a quick glance confirmed that Tim hadn’t beaten him to the restaurant, let the host guide him to a booth along the wall. 

They had discovered rather quickly that Tim couldn’t tolerate corner booths or tables in the middle of the room. Luckily, it was barely 11:30, saving them from the lunch rush limiting Jason’s options.

Tim walked through the front door at 11:30 on the dot, and Jason waved him over from his spot in the booth. The little Omega was practically drowning in a winter coat and scarf on top of an oversized hoodie. With his hair pulled back in a half-tail and yoga pants doing sinful things to his thighs, Jason couldn’t help but think he was gorgeous.

“Hello,” Tim said, smiling at him brightly, even as his shoulders curled in and his chin dipped down shyly.

Jason grinned back. “Hey.” He tried to ignore how his voice broke at the end of the word. He was an adult, god damnit, not a pubescent pup.

To his never ending relief, Tim didn’t seem to notice and slid into the seat across from the Alpha.

“Have you ordered yet?”

“Just waters. I haven’t been here that long.” He tried not to let his amusement show as he watched Tim struggle to get his jacket off and untangle the scarf from around his neck.

“That’s good.” The Omega sounded almost out of breath, shaking one of his arms to free the sleeve, and Jason let himself crack a smile at the sight.

“You need a hand?”

“ _No_ ,” Tim growled, finally freeing his arm and flinging his coat into the space next to him in the booth. “It sticks to the hoodie,” he said, huffing. “So! Have you been here before?”

“Nope! But if it’s any good I’ll have to bring Damian. He’s always complaining about how all the Middle Eastern restaurants in Gotham aren’t authentic.”

“I don’t know how authentic it is, but the cooks in the back are from New Delhi, so I’d like to think it’s not too Americanized.”

Jason chuckled. “That’s a pretty good start. Have anything you recommend?”

“Literally any of the curries,” Tim said without a pause. “The tandoori is really good too, and the momos are good, but I like Chinese dumplings better.”

“Sounds like a pretty sweet deal, then.” Jason glanced down at the menu. “You wanna split a basket of naan?”

“Sure.” Tim flipped to the right page to look over the options. “The garlic naan is pretty great, not that you can go wrong with any of them. If you don’t mind a little heat, alu nan is my favorite.”

“Let’s go with heat. I don’t think I’ve had that one before.”

A peppy burnette approached their table with a tray holding what Jason assumed to be their drinks. “Hello!” She set the two glasses of water on the table. “My name is Annie, and I’ll be your server today. Are you two ready or do you need a few more minutes?”

Jason looked to Tim in that silent ‘I’m ready if you are’ way that everyone understood.

“I think we’re ready.” Tim hesitated for a moment longer. When Jason didn’t disagree with the statement, he continued. “I’ll have the chicken tikka masala, spice level two, and a basket of alu nan for the table.”

Annie nodded, writing down the order, then turned to Jason.

“I’ll have the lamb vindaloo, and I normally do a spice level three, but it says here that it's already got a spice to it?”

“Yes, the vindaloos are a little more spicy than the rest of the curries, so most people go down a level,” Annie explained.

“Okay, let’s do that then.” Jason smiled, handing his menu to her.

“Alrighty! I’ll get those in for you guys, and it should be out in just a bit.” Annie skipped away, leaving a visceral trail of peppiness in her wake that Jason couldn’t help but admire. She must be new to the service industry if Gotham hadn’t beaten that out of her yet.

“I, uh, actually have a work thing for you? Wasn’t sure when else to give it to you.” Tim’s voice pulled him out of his musings, and Jason looked over in time to see a rather thick envelope being offered to him. “That’s my witness testimony. Dinah and I both agree that I’m not ready to stand trial and probably won’t be for years. I wrote down everything I could remember, made it a little more personal than the statement I gave after you guys got me out. Included some stuff about the driver too. Nothing new. Just a different way of saying it.”

Accepting the envelope, Jason took a moment to feel the weight of it. There was no way it contained any fewer than five pages, and he had no doubt that Tim had spent a lot of time perfecting the wording of the statement.

“Thanks, Tim. This will be a huge help, and I really appreciate that you were willing to relive all that again.” Every word dripped in sincerity, even as Jason planned how he would be lying to his boss on Monday. Faraday was great at what he did, if a bit of an insensitive asshole who had been pushing Jason to try and guilt Tim into standing trial. Yeah, no way in hell was Jason going to do that.

Tim quirked his lips, but just as fast as it appeared, it vanished. “No problem. If I didn’t think it’d do more harm than good, I’d stand trial.” Tim was fiddling with his water glass, twisting it in circles between his hands. “I just don’t think I can.”

“And no one thinks any less of you for it. You need to take care of you, and anyone who doesn’t understand that can fuck off.” Including Faraday.

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Tim smiled at him, a full smile with eyes all but laughing, and Jason had to swallow before he said something truly stupid, like how Tim’s eyes _sparkled_. 

“So, what have you been up to this week?” There. That was something not straight out of a tweenybopper movie script.

“Oh! It’s actually been really good.” Tim bounced a little in his seat, tucking his hands somewhere beneath the table. “Barbara has been sending me training programs and links for certifications my degree program won’t cover. I think I’m going to end up working with her once I graduate. It’s not exactly what I want to do in the long run—it _will_ get me in the field, though, and I can’t pass up on that kind of experience.”

“No shit? I only know the general gist of what she does. What would you be doing if you worked for her?”

“Well, you know about the Oracle Security System, right? I would be…” 

Jason had never seen Tim so passionate before. Usually, he was tired or anxious; now, it was like he could hardly stop himself from talking, and Jason was loving every minute of it. He was so caught up in the excitement Tim was carrying that he entirely forgot about the fact that he actually had something that needed to be addressed until they were paying.

Watching the waitress walk away with their cards to pay the check, he knew that he couldn’t wait any longer. Once Tim got his card back, the conversation would wind down, and then he wouldn’t see Tim again for another week.

He cleared his throat to get Tim’s attention, and immediately felt what little courage he had mustered flail in distress.

“So, uh, I have a… thing.” Right, great start. “I couldn’t help but remember what you said last week.” Tim’s face twisted into a grimace, and Jason mirrored it in sympathy. “I might have a… suggestion?”

Tim didn’t say anything and Jason decided to fuck it. This was as good as it was going to get. “My neighbors are moving out of the apartment next to me, and the place they’re moving has a hard No Animals policy. They’ve got a cat, though, so I told them I could take it, but I think she kind of hates me and I thought you might like the company? There’s no pressure if you don’t like cats, I’ll keep her no matter what, but I was just thinking… well. She could be a reason for you to get out of bed on bad days. And she’s good at cuddling when she’s not clawing the shit out of my legs.”

Jason anxiously watched Tim swallow hard and stare down at the table with wide eyes, not even acknowledging the waitress when she slid their cards back onto the table. Despite having no idea what was running through Tim’s mind, he tried not to worry. The worst that could happen was Tim saying no, right?

“I… I’ve never had a pet before.” Tim sounded a little lost, and he chewed on his lip as he dragged his eyes up to look at Jason. “I don’t know how to take care of one, what to feed them or, or anything, really.”

Jason felt a smile twitch at his lips, because even with all that, Tim still hadn’t said no. “Cats are pretty low maintenance. She’s used to a mix of dry and wet cat food, and you just leave out a dish of water for her to drink. Change it out to make sure it stays fresh. You have the easy job, since she’s already fixed and has her shots and is litter trained.” Jason faltered, then bit the bullet. “If you want to come by my apartment, you could meet her?”

It was a big ask. Jason, an unmated Alpha, asking Tim, an unmated Omega, into his living space. Nowadays, that usually only happened when the pair had been courting for a while and the Alpha wanted to show they could provide for the Omega. That wasn’t what Jason was trying to do—it _wasn’t—_ but the implication was still there, and Jason’s instincts were perking up at the idea of showing off a little. 

Not that it meant anything. Not that it _could_. Tim deserved way better than him, and Jason forced down his crush at the reminder. Tim only needed a friend, and Jason would be the best damn friend he could be.

“Okay,” Tim said slowly. “If you text me your address, we can meet up there?”

Jason nodded. “Sure thing.” He unlocked his phone and typed out the address quickly. “Did you drive here? Or do you need a ride? The sun was out today, so I took my bike. I can give you a ride if you want, but if you’re not comfortable with it, I understand.” He bit the tip of his tongue to shut himself up. He’d been able to keep himself from rambling so far, and now was not the time to start.

“You drove a _motorcycle_ here?” Tim stared at Jason, incredulous.

“It’s a nice day!” 

“It’s _April_ . In _Jersey_. I think the high for today was forty degrees.”

“It’s not like I can go that fast,” Jason grumbled. “Traffic keeps everything slow, and you’re not an advocate for being warm in those leggings, either. They can’t be very warm.”

The deadpan expression that earned him almost made Jason smile. “Well, _I’m_ not spending more than five collective minutes outside. There’s not a lot of opportunities to be cold when I’m only going from house to car to food and back to car.”

Throwing up his hands, Jason gave up. “So, I take it you don’t need a ride?”

Tim grinned in response. “Nah, I drove. Don’t really like public transportation, you know?”

“Strangers driving?”

He nodded seriously. “Strangers driving. And I guess lots of people in general if it’s not a taxi. You get my point. I’ll follow you on your bike?”

“Sounds good. You ready to go?”

“Yeah, just give me a sec.” Tim scooped his card up out of the tray, sliding it into his wallet and tucked the whole thing into his back pocket. Standing up, he started fighting to get his coat back on.

A quick pat-down confirmed Jason’s keys were still in his jacket pocket and his wallet joined them where it could be zipped in later. This jacket was one of his favorites, brown leather and butter soft, with plenty of pockets that zipped closed to stash things that would otherwise be lost on a motorcycle ride.

“Are you good following me?” Jason asked, giving Tim a hand up.

“Yep. Just let me see what your bike looks like and make sure I don’t get swallowed by traffic.”

“I can do that, Timmy.” 

He led the way to the door, holding it open and keeping an eye out for any unsavory characters looking for an easy mark. They weren’t in Crime Alley, but it was still Gotham, and people leaving restaurants were always easy targets because they were full and lazy and probably still had their wallets close to the surface.

The sidewalk was clear of any obvious pickpockets, and Jason took the opportunity to walk Tim to his car. It was a red Honda Civic, surprisingly ordinary, and still new and shiny enough to suggest it was a recent purchase. 

“I’m the black Ducati up on the right. I’ll let you pull out first, then get in front of you.”

“Follow the leader?”

“Follow the leader,” Jason confirmed, nodding. “Or you could pull it up on your GPS, too, in case you get lost.”

“That’s probably a better idea,” Tim said, laughing, and the warm feeling that sparked in Jason carried him all the way to his bike. 

It was a smooth drive to Jason’s townhouse by Gotham’s standards. He was only flipped off twice by other drivers, and Tim didn’t lose him even when they had to detour to avoid a grid lock. 

His townhouse was part of a four unit complex, and Jason had volunteered for the top floor to avoid having people vacuuming over his head at all hours of the day. It made for a lot of stairs, given that the elevator was super sketchy, but Tim took it like a champ and Jason found himself offering him a mental high five.

Locking the door behind Tim, Jason tossed his keys into the little bucket he had hanging by the door for that purpose. The Omega had gotten distracted halfway through getting his shoes off, one shoe off and the other untied, both hands occupied with a very demanding cat.

“Such a pretty kitty!” Tim cooed and scritched under her chin as she attempted to knock him off his feet. 

Jason couldn’t stop the smile that spread across his face, his heart fluttering at the sight.

Tim looked up expectantly. “You never did tell me her name?”

“Ah, well.” Jason cleared his throat. “I think it was Princess Twilight Sparkle or some shit, ‘cause my neighbors had two kids under the age of six, but the first thing she did when I brought her home was knock my plugged-in toaster into a sink full of dishwater. Fried the toaster, fried the outlet, damn near started an electrical fire and killed herself. So, I’ve been calling her Toaster. Don’t think she really cares, since she doesn’t listen to anything I say anyways.”

Tim stared at him with an open mouth for a moment longer, then burst into delighted laughter that did strange things to Jason’s traitorous heart. He really should see a cardiologist or something. 

“Well, hello there, Toaster. You’re just a sweetheart, aren’t you?” Tim gave in and fully sat on the floor so the cat could climb into his lap. He still had one shoe on.

Jason held back from laughing at the ridiculous— _cute_ —sight on his floor. “Don’t let her fool you. She’s a hellion who demands to be fed at five o’clock in the morning, and if you leave a glass on the counter, she will _absolutely_ knock it on the floor. She is a pretty good cuddler, though.” He couldn’t stop the fond expression that crossed his face if he tried. Tim was adorable.

“Yeah? I thought you said she doesn’t like you?” Tim teased.

“She arbitrarily decides when she does and doesn’t like me. If I’m sitting on the couch reading, she’s in my lap. If I try to pet her a moment later, she’s clawing the fuck out of my leg and running off. I try not to dwell on her fickle emotions.”

“She seems to like me pretty well.” Tim smiled down at her, slightly smug. “I… think I could give her a try at home. Just to see how it goes long term.”

“Yeah?” Jason watched the two interact. Something in his gut eased at seeing Tim appearing to actually like Toaster. Now, he wouldn’t be alone.

Smiling up at the Alpha, Tim pulled Toaster to his chest and cuddled her closer. “Yes.”

oOo

July was not Tim’s favorite time of year in Gotham. It was hot, humid, the trash in the streets actually festered, and in some parts of the city, you could literally taste the smog. All in all, it was disgusting. 

That wasn’t even taking into account how he was _feeling_ , and Tim was most definitely feeling miserable. Having finished his last class for his degree two weeks ago, he was set to graduate with the rest of the summer session in mid-August. Any joy in completing his bachelors had been strangled in the face of his medically necessary detox heat—the one heat each year he was required to go off suppressants to reduce the risk of permanent infertility. 

He had thought he was prepared. Stephanie would stay with him for the week, offering cuddles and soothing Beta pheromones, along with making sure he didn’t die of dehydration. Nothing too crazy, right?

Tim had never been so wrong in his life.

It had been a week of hell spent in near constant anxiety, unable to remember he wasn’t about to be strapped to a table and raped. Stephanie had been grossly underprepared on how to deal with him, and Tim had swung between needing full body contact and panicking at the mere scent of another person in his den. 

Toaster had been surprisingly helpful during those periods. It was nearly impossible to be caught in a flashback with a cat in his lap. Cats didn’t belong anywhere but the present, and it was a distinction that had probably saved his sanity. 

His heat had ended three days ago, and Tim felt less like it was a mere setback in his recovery and more like his recovery had taken a nosedive from it. That was what made tonight so important. After all, it was his birthday.

Turning twenty-one was generally a big deal, and he had given Stephanie permission to plan a small party weeks ago with the caveat that if he wasn’t able to drink, neither was anyone else. Oh, the joys of being on a benzo. 

She had been trying to convince him to postpone it, given how he felt weeks ago was not how he was feeling now, but Tim was well aware he was a stubborn bastard. He refused to let a stupid heat dictate how he spent his life. Even if it meant he kept getting cautious looks of reproach from Stephanie as they got ready together at his house.

“You sure you want to do this? We can postpone it for a few more days if you want. It’s not too late.” Her tone was deceptively casual. She didn’t even look away from the bathroom mirror, where she was applying mascara, but Stephanie couldn’t lie to save her life and tonight wasn’t any different.

“I’m sure.” Tim projected more confidence into his voice than he actually felt. “It’s just going to be the six of us, and Mrs. Huang promised me we’d get the back room to ourselves when I called yesterday. And no way do we have time to cancel. Everyone’s supposed to be there in an hour and Cass is probably already on her way.”

Stephanie hummed noncommittently, and, yeah. Tim was having a hard time convincing _himself_ ; no way was it going to get past her.

“I need to do this, Steph,” he said, voice soft. “I need to prove to myself I can get past this. That it’s not back to square one.” Looking down at his hands, he tugged at the hem of his shirt, not daring to see if she was looking at him. “I won’t let it dictate my life, and if I don’t take this first step today, I feel like it will.”

Slender fingers wrapped around his wrists and pulled his hands away from his body. Tim watched Stephanie twine their fingers together between them.

“Timothy Jackson Drake. You are the strongest, bravest, most stubborn idiot I have ever met. Genius or not, you have to be a complete moron to think that _anything_ could hold you back in life.” 

He glanced up then, a smile pulling at his lips, and Stephanie’s eyes shone with tears she wouldn’t shed. No one said she wasn’t just as stubborn.

“If you have to do this, let’s do it. But we’re taking a cab.”

“What?” Startled, he couldn’t stop the way his voice rose to an embarrassing pitch, high enough to earn a raised brow from Stephanie. “But it’s only two blocks away! I walk there all the time.”

“Yeah, I know.” She looked entirely unbothered, and Tim knew he wouldn’t like what she was going to say next. “If you’re okay enough to spend the evening with a bunch of people, then I’m sure you can survive five minutes in a cab. Besides.” Flipping her hair over her shoulder, she shimmied her shoulders. “It’s hot as Hades out there, and this shirt is brand new. I’m not getting pit stains on it in the first ten minutes of the night.”

Tim rolled his eyes, but took the out for what it was. Stephanie had a point in that; if he couldn’t handle a five minute cab ride, he probably shouldn’t risk triggering himself in a restaurant full of strangers. 

“How am I gonna get back, though? You’re leaving with Cass, and if I don’t drive myself, I’ll probably need someone with me even if I’m walking.” If the night didn’t go as well as he hoped, he would _definitely_ need someone there to ground him.

“Timmy.” She leveled him a look that screamed just how stupid she thought he was being. “We are literally going to a restaurant full of your friends to celebrate your birthday. They will _all_ have cars there, and if they somehow turn out to be massive jerkwads, Cass and I will escort you home ourselves. Besides.” She smirked. “I’m sure lover-boy will jump at the opportunity to go all Alpha for you.”

“Steph!” Tim said, dragging her name out. He groaned and leaned forward, hiding his blush by burying his face in her shoulder. The truth was that Jason had been wholly respectful and patient during the months they had been courting. They hung out and went on dates often enough, and occasionally Jason would surprise him with some kind of gift—always something useful, something that the Alpha had clearly put thought into—but Jason made sure to respect Tim’s personal space. He didn’t try to scent mark him, didn’t try to touch Tim beyond friendly pats or brushing shoulders while at the theaters, and he hadn’t once asked where Tim lived or invited the Omega back to his apartment and territory. 

It was thoughtful and sweet and Tim had been working up the courage to initiate hand-holding before his heat had forced them into a week-long break from texting or talking. Stephanie, of course, knew all of this and made it her mission to point out the rare occasions where Jason’s instincts got the better of him.

All his groan of protest earned him was a chuckle and a patronizing pat on the back.

Looping her hands around his waist, Stephanie leaned back to look at him without actually distancing herself. “Hey, you two are good, though, right?” 

“Yeah.” Tim smiled, a little relieved and a little dopey. “We’re good. I haven’t seen him since before…” He cleared his throat. “But we’ve been texting a lot since it ended. I’m just… nervous about how I’ll react when I see him tonight. I don’t want it to be a step backwards.”

“Even if it is, you know he’ll wait for you.” Stephanie watched him seriously. “He’s been a perfect gentleman so far, and he doesn’t seem like the kind of asshole who would pretend. If he is an asshole about it, that just means he’s not worth your time anyways.”

“I know.” Tim smiled at her. “Thanks, Steph.”

“That’s what BFF’s are for,” she said, grinning. “Can I scent you?”

“Always.” The tension he’d been carrying all day seemed to melt away as she rubbed their cheeks together, thoroughly spreading her calming Beta scent across his face until it was hard to tell who smelled like who.

“Alright. Now c’mon! I wanna get your eyes done before we leave. Jason won’t know what hit him when you bat those baby blues.”

Tim’s face scrunched up in distaste. “Could we not? You know how much I hate eyeshadow, and if I freak out it’ll smear.”

Pursing her lips, Stephanie contemplated his point. “No eyeshadow. I’ll only do your top eyelids with liner and I’ll use the waterproof stuff.”

He hesitated a moment longer, then gave in. “Okay. But no wings. Keep it simple.”

She laughed, throwing her head back and moving to tug him into the bathroom. “Makeup is _never_ simple.”

oOo 

When Tim stepped out of the cab an hour later, he felt like flying. The cabbie had been a middle-aged Beta woman with a gives-no-fucks attitude who had barely spoken a word to them outside of directional grunts. He had felt nervous, anxious that he could have a panic attack, but it hadn’t happened and before he realized it, it was over.

He handed the cabbie more than enough cash to cover the fee plus tip, but couldn’t find it in himself to care as he bounced in place on the sidewalk. Stephanie finally pulled herself free of the car, took one look at him, and rolled her eyes.

“C’mon, wonder bread. Can’t keep your loving fans waiting.” Hooking her arm through his, they walked into the restaurant. 

He had to bite back a grimace as soon as the door closed behind them. China City was usually a slow, quiet place filled with soft music, delicious smells, and good-natured yelling in a Chinese dialect his years of Mandarin didn’t help him understand. Tonight, it was filled to the brim with people and bustling with noise. The cacophony of scents was overwhelming, and Tim was forced to breathe through his mouth as his good mood slunk back to the rock it had been hiding under.

“Timothy!” The call cut through the din of voices, and pulled Tim’s attention back to the here and now. “You are late.” He identified the scolding tone and accent before a small Chinese woman pushed her way through the bodies crowding the hostess booth.

“Sorry, Mrs. Huang. Spent too long getting ready.” He tried to smile at her, but it probably fell more than a little short. There were too many people around, and he was starting to feel trapped.

She brushed off his excuse with a tut. “Your friends arrived before you. They have been waiting. Come, come.”

With that, the five-foot-nothing woman bulldozed her way through the crowd, leaving Tim and Stephanie to follow in her wake. 

The back party room was quiet in comparison to the rest of the restaurant, and Tim felt himself relax marginally as he took in the people seated around the long table in the middle of the room. Jason and Barbara sat next to each other on one side of the table, with Cass seated across from Barbara and Dick at the head of the table. That left the seats next to Jason and Cass empty, and also gave Tim the option of scooting his chair to the side if he needed more space. It was thoughtful and planned and Tim felt the rest of his anxiety peter out.

He could handle this.

“Happy birthday, Tim!” the group chorused, slightly off beat from one another.

Grinning at them all, he settled into his seat next to Jason, feeling some of his earlier good mood returning. “Thanks, everyone.”

Dick piped in quickly, “I thought your other friend, tall, dark, and serious, was gonna be here too?”

The description threw Tim for a second, and he couldn’t help the laugh that it startled out of him. He didn’t know Dick all that well, and was honestly surprised that he even remembered Kon. “He and Cassie couldn’t get leave, but they’re going to Skype me tomorrow. We have another friend down in Central City who got stuck with an intense internship, so tonight is Gotham residents only.”

Barbara leaned forward to catch his eye. “That’s the friend who won the Boston Marathon a few years ago, right?”

“Yeah. Bart’s always been insane about running, although he’s generally more fond of sprinting. We’ve all been trying to convince him to compete for years, but that was his first time really trying.”

“That’s so cool,” Dick gushed. “I used to compete in gymnastics, but never anything higher than youth nationals. Oh! This one time…” 

He delved into a story about how he had broken his arm backflipping from a chandelier as Mrs. Huang moved around the table for drink orders, giving Jason the opportunity to lean over without all attention on them.

“You doing okay, babybird?”

Tim blushed at the endearment. “Getting there. It was a rough week.”

Jason nodded, eyes still on Dick as he waved his arms dramatically. “Let me know if it’s too much. I can get Dickie out without too much fuss.”

It was a real concern. The room was pretty small, and with three Alphas in the room, the pheromones were bound to get more intense as the evening progressed. Dick was mated to Barbara, but he was also the one that Tim was least familiar with. If Tim started to feel trapped again, Dick’s presence could definitely escalate things.

“I should be fine, but I’ll keep you posted.” 

Jason shot a quick smile back at him, turning to Mrs. Huang, who was demanding to know what they wanted to drink.

“I’ll just have a water. Do you know who our server will be tonight?” Tim looked up at the old Beta woman, her graying hair starting to escape the bun at the nape of her neck in wild wisps. 

“We are very busy. Started new advertising, but it’s too much.” She shook her head. “Had to call in new staff yesterday. I will be serving you tonight.”

Tim jolted in shock. “What? No. You don’t need to do that!” Mrs. Huang was the official owner of China City, and while she occasionally refilled drinks for guests while chatting, she was the face of the business and belonged up front.

“Timothy.” Her serious expression cut off anything else he might have said. “You have come here for years. You are a regular. You are a friend. I will be your server tonight.”

Deflating, Tim ducked his head to hide his expression. He was still trying to get used to people caring enough about him to make sacrifices. Even as small as this.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

“You are welcome. Now! I must get drinks.” She left in a hurry, because god forbid that woman ever walk at a normal pace.

Jason let out a low whistle. “Damn,” he muttered, drawing Tim’s attention. “Do me a favor and remind me to never bring Alfred here, ‘kay? They’d take over the world.”

Laughing, Tim tipped his head. “Would that be a bad thing?”

“Maybe not. But I’d definitely be out of a job. There’s no need for law enforcement when everyone is terrified of the Eyebrow of Doom.”

Tim tipped his head, not getting the reference. “Eyebrow of doom?”

Barbara was the one who answered, leaning against Jason to join their conversation. “Alfred’s Eyebrow of Doom is usually preceded by the Frown of Disappointment, but only occurs after you dig your hole deeper than it was to begin with. On very rare occasions, if you are truly stupid, the second eyebrow will join the first in the Look of Damnation.” 

“Rumour has it,” Dick interrupted, voice low, “that everyone who’s seen the Look of Damnation have been trapped forever on dusting duty, and now live in the walls of the Manor to help Alfie with chores, never to be seen again.”

“I heard he was mugged, once,” Cass continued, picking up the narrative. “He gave the Eyebrow of Doom, said ‘no,’ and the man turned himself in.”

On one hand, Tim was pretty sure that Barbara and Dick were bullshitting him. On the other hand, Cass never lied. He opted to—tentatively—believe that Alfred was a supernatural force until proven otherwise. 

“You guys have the _weirdest_ family.” Stephanie sounded like she was in awe, eyebrows practically in her hairline. “Like, my dad is in prison forever because he gave the cops _clues_ on how to stop him, but your family is definitely weirder.”

“Damian’s family is worse.” Cass smiled mildly, but Dick and Jason’s faces instantly screwed up in disgust.

“Ugh. We’re stopping right there. I’m not talking about Damian’s family before I have to eat.” Jason cut her off. “Besides! This place apparently has the best kung pao chicken in Gotham, and I haven’t even found it in my menu yet.”

“Page four,” Tim offered, earning a bewildered look from Jason.

“Timmy, I knew you ate here a lot, but you have the menu memorized?”

He shrugged. “Not all of it, but they organize it by type of meat, and all of the chicken is on page four.”

“Oooo, orange chicken!” Dick’s exclamation cut off whatever tirade Jason was about to start on the healthfulness of Tim’s eating habits as Jason rounded on his brother.

“Dick, there is not a Chinese restaurant in the country that doesn’t sell orange chicken. Is there literally nothing else you can order here?”

“Hey! Orange chicken is a classic!”

They were saved from further argument when Mrs. Huang returned to the room, balancing a tray of drinks. She tucked the tray under her arm, pulled out a pen and a notebook, and sent Tim a look that had him reciting his order without further prompting.

"I'll have an order of steamed vegetable dumplings and the stir-fried frog legs with fried rice." Tim smiled up at Mrs. Huang as he handed her his menu and turned back to Jason. "You can have some of the dumplings. They're really good, just too much for—what? Why are you looking at me like that?" 

Jason's eyebrows looked like they were trying to escape his face and he was staring at Tim in disbelief. "Did you seriously just order frog legs?"

Bristling at his tone, Tim crossed his arms in defense. "Yes. It's my birthday. You're not allowed to judge my choice of food."

Jason lifted his hands in surrender, one hand still occupied with his menu. "No judgement here. Promise." He handed his menu to Mrs. Huang. "I'll have the hongshao chicken feet. Fried rice is fine."

Tim watched Jason casually lean back as if nothing had happened, and opted to let the matter drop. What Jason wanted to eat was his choice, and Tim wasn't about to become a hypocrite and judge him for it.

"I have to know," Stephanie butted in from across the table, "whether you actually like chicken feet or if you're just trying to one up Timmy."

Jason scoffed. "Chicken feet are delicious, and there aren't many places that sell them. Good chicken feet determine how authentic these places are." His serious expression broke into a grin. "And no way in hell could I let Timberly win."

"It's not a competition," Tim offered mildly, hoping to stop this pissing contest before it started. It was Stephanie _,_ though, so that was too much to ask for.

"Tim's eaten weirder," Stephanie said, ignoring him completely, her eyes locked on Jason.

Jason, to his credit—or maybe discredit— rose to the challenge. "Bruce tricked me into eating lamb eyeballs in Iceland, once." 

"Tim's had _weirder_." Stephanie's grin took a manic turn, and by that point, the rest of the table was invested.

Face screwing up, Jason was clearly trying to imagine what that could be and was coming up short. "What's weirder than lamb eyeballs?"

"Steph, _no_ ." Tim looked at her desperately, but he recognized the glint in her eye. It was too late. " _Please,_ Steph. We are in a public restaurant, about to have dinner. It's my birthday!"

"Exactly!" she crowed. "It is your birthday, and as your resident best friend, it is my job to share embarrassing stories about you to all the less-than-best-friends who don't know."

"If you do this, I'll tell them the weirdest thing _you_ ever ate," he threatened.

Flapping her hand, she waved off the threat. "Doesn't count. Weirdest thing I've eaten is the same thing you ate. Not gonna get out of this, Timmy."

"God." Tim flopped on the table, burying his face in his arms. It had taken six years of actively ignoring and bleaching his brain, and now she was going to make him relive it. Ugh.

"Story time! For those of you who don't know, I, Stephanie Brown, am a teenage pregnancy statistic. Whoot!" She pumped her fist in the air. "That means for about six months, Tiny Tim and I were dating while I carried my jackass ex's baby—who was happily adopted by a loving family, so don't worry." 

Peaking out above his arms, he saw Stephanie looking positively smug.

"During that time, however, Tiny Tim was the sweetest boyfriend ever who catered to my every need and whim, and I took great advantage. I may not have planned on keeping the kid, but strangers didn't know that and you could get all kinds of free shit at Baby Showcases for the expecting." She sighed, as if it was possible to look back on that time fondly. "All these vendors gave out free samples and coupons, and it really was just a great time all around. Well! This one time they had a showcase dedicated to food, and, like, yeah, some of it was the super healthy, funky tasting crap you hear the real health nuts talk about liking, but most of it was pretty good. And this one vendor had _milkshakes_."

Tim groaned loudly in despair, because holy shit. She was actually going to do it.

"The wild berry ones were actually really good, so Tim and I are there, sipping at these samples, pretending to listen to this chick going on and on about all the ingredients and vitamins and minerals and how _healthy_ they are. Then, then, she goes and tells us the secret ingredient." Stephanie's voice was choked with laughter as she tried to control herself, which only made Tim groan louder. "The secret ingredient, which is apparently what makes these shakes so great, was fucking _human placenta_. Collected, pasteurized, powdered, and added to the shake like gym junkies add whey."

A glance around the table revealed everyone wearing expressions of varying disgust. Dick looked like he might actually get sick.

"And Tim and I had just drank a Dixie cup each. We didn't even wait for her to finish, we just left. Dry heaved in a few trash cans, but not enough to actually throw up. It was _great_ , and it put us both on top of the 'fucked up foods' competition, so no one else will ever be able to beat us!"

"I hate you," Tim said slowly. "So. Much."

All that earned him was a round of laughter, and it quickly turned into a game of sharing each other’s childhood misadventures. Jason had just gotten to explain how he had filled Dick’s bathtub with live goldfish for April Fool’s when the food finally arrived. It was set up family style, and everyone took a sample of everything, even when Jason tried to demonstrate how to eat the chicken feet and managed to smear oil on his chin, cheeks, _and_ nose. 

Dinner carried on with light conversation, lots of laughter, and a sense of companionship Tim wasn’t familiar with, but enjoyed nonetheless. It ended on a high note, with strawberry red wine cake specially made by Alfred Pennyworth and hand delivered by Cass. 

“Oh!” Tim blinked in remembrance as he sucked the last of his icing off his fork. “Hey, Jay?” 

The Alpha lifted an eyebrow in question, still half-focused on wrangling his chicken feet into a takeout container.

“Steph and I took a cab to get here, but she’s going home with Cass and I didn’t want to intrude. Could I hitch a ride back with you? I’m, like, two blocks north.” It was a little bit presumptuous, but they had already been courting for four months and it wasn’t like he would be inviting Jason inside.

“Yeah, no problem. I came on my bike, so it’s up to you if you want to ride or walk.”

“Riding should be okay.” Tim had ridden on Jason’s bike before, and sometimes the proximity to an Alpha was too much. Tonight, however, the thought of it was just making him blush. It stirred up a warm feeling in his gut that wasn’t unusual around Jason, but he was surprised to still be feeling it after the heat.

“Sounds good,” Jason said, flashing a smile up at him. “Just let me know when you’re ready to go.”

Tim made a final round of goodbyes, giving Stephanie and Barbara both a hug and offering Dick and Cass fist bumps. It had been a good evening, despite his worries, and Tim was ready to start winding down.

The main seating area had largely cleared out, and Tim felt himself relaxing further as the threat of imminent anxiety was finally put to ease. That didn’t stop Jason from walking just a step behind him as they made their way out, though. Everything about the Alpha hovered just on the edge of his senses. Scent, sight, and Tim even imagined he could feel the heat coming from Jason’s body, though that was more likely a draft from the kitchens.

Offering a final wave to the group as they split off for their own vehicles, Tim let Jason lead the way to his bike. Both seats lifted up for additional storage, and Jason easily swapped out his box of leftovers for his helmet. After fastening his own helmet, he turned back to Tim with a soft grin, holding out the other helmet.

“Trade you.” 

Tim accepted the helmet as Jason stashed his leftovers, sliding it over his own head and lifting up the visor. It was technically one of Cass’ old ones that Jason had claimed on Tim’s behalf after they started traveling together.

He reached up to fumble with the strap under his chin, but Jason was there a second later, pushing his hands out of the way.

“Nuh uh. You did it wrong last time, and I don’t want your brains in a smear on the road if someone decides to run a red light,” Jason said, his eyes crinkling, and Tim knew there was a teasing smile playing across his lips, even if the bottom of the helmet hid it from sight.

He huffed, because he’d be able to fasten it right if he had more _practice_ , but the accidental brushes of Jason’s fingers against his throat stilled his voice.

“You’ll have to tell me where I’m going, since I haven’t figured out how to add a GPS yet.” Jason’s voice was muffled as he spoke through the helmet.

Tim gave a thumbs up and pointed down the road. “Two blocks that way, then turn right on twenty-sixth street. It’s a one-way road, and I’m the fifth brownstone on the left.”

“Easy enough.” Jason swung himself onto his bike, then waved Tim closer. “Hop on, birthday boy.”

Tim climbed onto the back of the bike, much less gracefully than Jason had managed, and took a second to find the footholds while Jason started up the engine. It was a custom build, designed to hold two people, but the natural riding position involved laying against the body of the motorcycle. This left Tim plastered to Jason from shoulder to hip with his crotch pressed right against Jason’s ass and his head tucked against his shoulder to prevent their helmets from knocking. 

The position was a little more comfortable than it should be, especially when they had a reason to go a little bit faster and Tim would get to hold on tighter. It created two different kinds of anxiety: the one where an accidental boner would _absolutely_ be felt by Jason, and therefore it could _not_ develop, and the one where he was feeling sexual attraction for an Alpha and was _not_ ready to deal with that level of intimacy. Luckily, anxiety was a pretty good boner-killer, and tonight's ride was short and calm enough that Tim was able to simply lay against Jason and enjoy the feeling of his muscles rippling through his t-shirt.

In no time at all, they were pulling up in front of Tim’s brownstone. It was nearly identical to all the others on the block, but Stephanie had managed to talk him into painting the door a bright red when he first bought it, making it easy to pick out.

They clambered off the bike together, Jason going an extra step and removing his own helmet while Tim fought with the strap on his.

“Thanks for driving me home.” Smiling, Tim offered his helmet back to Jason, who had dug his takeout container out of the storage compartment and exchanged it for the helmet.

“You know it’s no problem. Even if it was more than two blocks away, I’m happy I was able to take you.” It was dark out, but in the light of the streetlamps Tim was pretty sure Jason was blushing.

“Still.” Tim looked down, trying not to smile too hard at his box of leftovers. That aching, fluttery feeling in his gut was back full force. “I really appreciate it.”

Jason smiled back, then snorted out a laugh. “Your hair is a bird’s nest, Timmy.” Reaching out, he ruffled his fingers through Tim’s hair, taking the opportunity to to gently finger comb the errant strands into some semblance of order.

Tim’s laugh was breathless, his heart rate ticking up a bit and unable to take his eyes off Jason. “Thanks.”

Hesitating for a moment, Jason licked his lips as if he wasn’t sure about what he wanted to say next. Whatever it was, he made up his mind quickly and forged ahead. “Is it okay if I give you a hug? I totally understand if you don’t want to, and fistbumps are more than enough.”

A giddy feeling zapped up Tim’s spine, and he ducked his head shyly even as the bold feeling took over. “I was actually going to say you could kiss me if you want, but I can settle for a hug.”

Tim wasn’t sure what he expected Jason’s reaction to be, but the shocked expression that didn’t leave his face wasn’t it.

“I… what?”

“You could... kiss me? If you want?” His bold feeling was long gone. Tim’s throat felt tight because Jason’s look of discomfort meant he had messed up somewhere. “We don’t have to. I mean, a hug is probably a better start,” he rambled. “We haven’t really done any of the normal, uh, physical courting stuff, but we’re not exactly normal, and—”

“Courting? We’re not courting!” If the words on their own weren’t enough to slap Tim in the face, Jason’s look of growing alarm definitely was.

“We’re… not?” He hated how lost he sounded, but his entire point of view had just been flipped on its head, so Tim figured he was allowed to be a little lost right then.

“No! I’m just!” Jason floundered. “I’m being a friendly, helpful, supportive friend!”

Tim gaped, because in no way did that fit with everything that had transpired the past several months. “You’ve been paying for almost all of my meals and giving me gifts! What was I supposed to think?!”

“Friends do that, too!”

“Jason.” Tim leveled him with a look that was bordering into scowl territory. “We went to the zoo three weeks ago and you _fed me by hand_.” It had been a spoonful of ice cream, but the only way Jason could have made a more obvious courting move was if he built Tim a nest.

The look of horror that crossed Jason’s face meant he was beginning to realize the same thing. Tim balked at the thought of hearing anything else on the topic at that moment, and a spark of anger overtook the distress wanting to build up.

“You know what? Fuck it. We’re not courting. But you’ve definitely been acting like it and I thought that’s what this was, so.” He shrugged sharply. “Think about it, make up your mind, and let me know when you figure out whether we’re just friends or if we’re more. I need to sleep, so I guess I’ll see you later. Goodnight, Jason.”

He left before Jason could form a reply, walking up the steps and into his house without looking back. 

If he cried himself to sleep that night, no one had to know except his favorite pillow. 

oOo

It’d been two weeks since Tim saw Jason. Two weeks since that fateful night where everything went to hell, and he had taken a major reality check to make sure his meds hadn’t caused him to hallucinate the past few months. 

Spoilers, they hadn’t. Jason had definitely been courting him for four months without even realizing it. 

It was easy to not notice how involved Jason had become in his life until he wasn’t. Stopping contact cold turkey left Tim feeling like he was going through some kind of withdrawal, and he found himself checking his phone for texts that weren’t there at least twelve times a day.

Stephanie tried to help him, coming over twice to pull him out of the house and stop his moping. She was the one who got him to admit that even though he _liked_ Jason, he didn’t care what happened as long as this didn’t totally ruin their friendship. It was the one outcome he was truly terrified for, and as more time passed, it felt like it became more and more likely.

Two weeks was a long time with no contact, so when he heard a knock on his door at six one evening, there was no way it wasn’t his latest Amazon delivery. Tim reluctantly heaved himself up off his couch and displaced Toaster to get it, because he knew he’d have to sign for the package—they knew better than to leave the really big packages on the doorsteps in Gotham. Opening the door, he stared in shock at the sight that greeted him. 

It was Jason, looking rumpled and sleep deprived, hair sticking in every direction like he couldn’t keep his fingers out of it, holding a bouquet of flowers that had seen better days.

“Uh, hi,” Tim said, recovering quickly. Jason, on the other hand, looked rather panicked as he tried to come up with a greeting, came up short, and inhaled wrong. He broke into a coughing fit and quickly smothered his face into his elbow. The same elbow attached to the hand holding the flowers.

Eventually, the coughing subsided. Unfortunately, the violent shaking hadn’t helped the flowers any, and now the Alpha was doing a wonderful impersonation of a tomato.

“Are you okay?” Tim asked, not sure if he should reach out and help in some way or if that would be ill-received given the uncertain ground they stood on.

“Yeah.” It came out a bit wheezy, and Jason coughed to the side again. “Fine. Hi. Sorry, was gonna text, but… I don’t know. Started walking, and ended up here?” Jason shrugged, then blinked down at the flowers in his hands as if he had forgotten they were there. “Oh. These were for you. I think I kinda mangled them.” He grimaced. “You might just want to toss them at this point. I’m not sure if they can recover.”

Tim felt a smile pulling at the edges of his lips and had to fight to keep it down. “It’s fine. I can put them in some water and see how they do.” He accepted the peace offering, Jason wincing as petals fell off and scattered on the doorstep. “Why don’t you come in? My kitchen is in the back.”

Jason followed him through his house quietly, and Tim was well aware of what it meant to invite the Alpha into his den. Hopefully, Jason would see it as more than merely a sign of trust, but he had no way of knowing what had been going through Jason’s mind the past two weeks.

The silence continued. Tim pulled a cup out of the cupboard and filled it halfway with water. He mixed in the fertilizer packet that came with the flowers, trimmed the ends of the stems, and guided them into the glass. It was a pretty motley display, though now that the flowers were out of their wrapping, they didn’t seem quite so bad as before. 

“Do you want anything to drink? I have water and juice, some iced coffee, maybe a Mountain Dew in the back.” Setting the improvised vase on the counter, he fiddled with his fingers while waiting for an answer. He knew he was stalling, but Jason was sitting at the little table in the kitchen, and the only other chair was directly across from him. Tim wasn’t sure if he was ready for this conversation yet, no matter how much he had wanted to get it over with before this very moment.

“Just water’s fine.” Jason didn’t seem to be faring much better, eyes resolutely studying everything he could see in the clean, white kitchen and avoiding the only other occupant.

It reassured Tim, a little, that Jason was feeling just as wrong-footed as he was. He had also come inside, so it was unlikely he was going to cut off all contact immediately. If anything, he was probably going to try to let Tim down easy, then slowly cut back on how often they talked until one day Tim would realize they weren’t friends anymore. It was a depressing thought, for sure, but Tim would still have at least a few more weeks of pretending they could go back to normal.

Grabbing them each a cup of water, he sent out a silent prayer of thanks to whatever god had summoned Toaster to distract Jason and give them something other than awkward silence to dwell on.

“Hey, pretty girl,” Jason cooed softly at the cat, bending down to scratch at her ears and under her chin. “Seems like you’ve settled in nicely, huh?” Her purring ramped up again, like she was agreeing with the question.

“She likes to sit on my lap when I’m working on stuff in my office. And knock all my coffee cups onto the floor, just like you said.” Tim chuckled fondly. “I never thought getting a cat would force me to do my dishes.” He couldn’t help but smile when Toaster abandoned Jason to jump up onto his lap.

Jason pouted. “Still don’t know why she likes you so much more than me. It’s not like I did anything different!”

“Maybe it’s ‘cause you stink?” Tim grinned, tilting his head back when Toaster butted up against his chin, still purring loudly.

“I do not stink,” Jason grumbled.

“No. I don’t suppose you do.”

Jason’s body language tensed up again, a serious expression taking over his face and whatever levity they had found vanished.

“I have a confession to make.” Jason paused long enough that Tim wondered if he should try to say something in response to that ambiguous statement. He was saved from trying to say something when the Alpha took a fortifying breath and ploughed onward. “There has never been a point in time where I have not been attracted to you, Tim. Be it your scent, your appearance, later on your personality… I have always been interested in you.” Jason looked him in the eye, gaze intense and solemn. “Do you understand?”

Tim nodded, because he did understand. The pain and self-loathing in Jason’s eyes made it clear he meant from the _very_ beginning, when he had played the role of abuser.

“So, you understand that I’m the last person you should want.” His jaw was trembling, and Jason closed his eyes to compose himself. “I’m the last person who could ever deserve you.”

Letting the silence settle, Tim took the time to process everything Jason had dumped on him. There was a lot to unpack there, a lot of deep-rooted issues that probably weren’t as cut and dry as they seemed, but the important part was that Jason was _wrong_ and Tim would have to be careful in how he proved that to the Alpha.

“Do you know what I thought the first time I saw you? When you crouched down and said your name was Todd?” Tim said, casually posing the question.

Jason opened his eyes to look at Tim, more than a little wary. 

“My very first impression of you was that you were exactly the kind of Alpha I would try to pick up at a bar in other circumstances.” 

He let that statement hang in the air, watching Jason’s eyes widen. “When I scented you after you walked into that room, all I could think was that it wasn’t fair you smelled so good, because it would make it harder for me to not smell interested. We don’t need to lie to each other, Jason. It was a really shitty way to meet each other, and it wasn’t consensual on either of our parts. If you’re trying to hate yourself for being attracted to me, then you have to hold me to that same standard.”

“No!” Jason exclaimed. “You didn’t have any control over that! You were in pre-heat, Tim. Your body was prepping itself to attract and accept any suitable Alpha. If you had been in your right mind, I’m sure you would’ve given me just as much piss and vinegar as you did everyone else.”

Tim nodded slowly and licked his lips. “Okay, I want you to pause and think about what you just said.” His eyes flashed up to lock onto Jason’s. “My body was preparing itself for heat by trying to attract every eligible Alpha in the area. That’s what heats _do_. If I can’t control my instincts in the face of that, why should you hold yourself to a double standard?” 

Jason didn’t seem to have an answer to that, so Tim steamrolled on.

“The fact is, despite our history, despite my shitty mental health, despite the fact that I shouldn’t be able to stand being near Alphas _period_ , I like you. I _like_ you, Jason.” Tim looked down, slowly sinking into his seat and starting to curl into himself. “I have for a while now, and I thought you liked me back. I thought that maybe you wanted to help me figure out life again, and that maybe I could help you, too.” Tim unglued his eyes from the table and met Jason’s eyes. “If I’m wrong… if I’m wrong I need you to tell me now, because I don’t think I can hang in limbo anymore.”

The silence that followed was nearly deafening in the wake of Tim’s declaration. He hadn’t planned on admitting the last part, but it was out now, and Jason was staring at him with wide eyes and _not saying anything_.

“Please. Say something,” he begged quietly. 

Jason stood up from his chair, walked around the table to where Tim was sitting, and twisted Tim’s chair to face away from the table with a loud screech. Kneeling on the floor, he brought his hands up to cup the back of Tim’s calves and pressed his face against the Omega’s sternum. Tim’s knees dug into his chest awkwardly, but he didn’t seem to mind it as Tim threaded his fingers through Jason’s hair.

“You deserve so much better than me,” he whispered. “But I’d be a fool to turn you away. And… I like you too, Tim. I like you a lot.”

Tim tugged at Jason’s hair to get him to look up. “We’re going to have to agree to disagree on what you deserve in life.” Hesitating, he searched Jason’s eyes for any sign of insincerity. That he was simply doing this for Tim’s benefit. “You’re willing to give us a chance, though?”

“Tim. There is nothing I want more than to be with you,” Jason promised earnestly. “It would be an _honor_ to court you. Properly, this time.” 

He smiled self-deprecatingly, and Tim had to chuckle. Jason had to be the most oblivious Alpha on the face of the planet. “Can I kiss you?”

The soft question made Tim’s stomach flip in on itself and he nodded quickly. 

Jason raised a hand up and smoothed his fingers against Tim’s cheekbone, taking the opportunity to tuck a stray lock of hair behind his ear. He cupped Tim’s jaw and Tim tilted his head at the careful direction, anticipation flooding his system.

The first touch of Jason’s lips against his was tentative. Simply a gentle brush of his lips. Then he came back, pressing into Tim a little more firmly, and Tim responded in kind, opening up beneath Jason. The kiss was still mostly chaste, but it was intimate and sweet and Tim felt _alive_.

He didn’t know if they would work in the long run—they both came with a lot of baggage and history that needed to be sorted through. The important part, however, was that Jason was willing to try. 

Tim had hope. As long as they were honest and trusted each other, everything would work out.

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to chat, I am also now on Tumblr! 
> 
> bionerd2point0


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